Perhaps the brakes need to be pumped ever so slightly on this Jack Grealish phenomenon.
He’s had a few fine performances now that he’s become something of a regular starter at Villa Park and scored his first goal for his club just two weeks ago but people might be getting a little carried away with the 20-year-old.
The winger, who is still the rope in a tug-of-war between Ireland and England, has impressed Villa manager Tim Sherwood so much that not even an astronomical fee would prise Grealish away from the club.
“I wouldn’t want to sell Jack Grealish for £60m (€81m) today. I know what he could possibly be,” said Sherwood. “What looks expensive this year might not be expensive next year.
“That Liverpool game was huge with a lot of expectancy and pressure, it didn’t faze him, he grew more.
“He is certainly a type of player we have seen at the very top level for the likes of Liverpool and in the past for Aston Villa, we have to recognise that.”
Let’s just put that tentative valuation into context. In recent years we’ve seen Premier League stars like David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa each move for around half of what Villa would want for Grealish.
So, Real Madrid. If you just happen to have €81m lying around and want to add a ridiculous haircut to your squad, you’ll have to sling your hook because Tim wants more.
